Departures: Two Rediscovered Stories of Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen

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Departures: Two Rediscovered Stories of Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 208 ratings · 33 reviews

Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10
After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When...more

ebook, 208 pages

Published May 3rd 2011 by Multnomah Books (first published October 1999)

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Apr 16, 2012 Emily Rachelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is actually two short stories that go with her Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series. Since they are two separate stories, I'm going to write a mini review for each story.
The first is "Now Boarding at Gate 10," starring Christy Miller. She's headed to Wisconsin on a family vacation, to celebrate her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary. What she doesn't expect is the possiblity of a romance with her junior high crush.
While the story was as well-written as all the Christy Miller books, I...more The book is actually two short stories that go with her Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series. Since they are two separate stories, I'm going to write a mini review for each story.
The first is "Now Boarding at Gate 10," starring Christy Miller. She's headed to Wisconsin on a family vacation, to celebrate her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary. What she doesn't expect is the possiblity of a romance with her junior high crush.
While the story was as well-written as all the Christy Miller books, I felt like it wasn't really great. Almost all of the characters have already been met by the readers in the Christy Miller series. The plot is easy to follow and flows nicely, and the characters are all true to form. But, partly because I know how the series ends, I felt this story didn't fit with the rest of Christy's life. True, there are real-life experiences during which you may have a 'What if..' moment with a romantic interest. Still, I felt that the idea of Christy and Matthew dating seemed unnecessary to Christy's life story in general. I give this story three stars out of five.
The second story was "In the Event of a Water Landing," starring Sierra Miller.
Sierra, her friend Jana, Jana's brother Gregg, and Gregg's friend Tim are on their way to a vacation in Montana. An airline mix-up and a trip to a huge mall delay their plans. When they do finally arrive, Sierra is confused by Jana's strange behavior and the mixed feelings both girls are having towards guys.
Now, I was never a huge fan of the Sierra series. However, this story is the exact opposite of "Now Boarding at Gate 10." I feel this little 'preview' of Sierra's life - which comes before the Sierra books - better helps the reader understand Sierra's thoughts and beliefs throughout the rest of the series. While the plot was nothing extraordinary, the characters were completely realistic. Sierra discovers a few things - about herself, about guys, and about relationships in general. I found that I connected much better with this mini-book on Sierra than the entire rest of the series. This story definitely gets all five stars.
I received this book for free through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing's Blogging for Books Program in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.(less)

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Dec 03, 2011 Jill Williamson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now Boarding at Gate 10- a Christy Miller novella
Having just graduated high school, Christy goes back to Wisconsin with her family to visit relatives. There she reunites with Matthew, a boy she once had a huge crush on. Now that Todd is gone, could Christy start over with someone like Matthew? What if someone else was interested long before Christy came to visit?

In the Event of a Water Landing- a Sierra Jensen novella
Sierra heads off to a lake in Montana for a vacation with her friend Jana and J...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anthologies, review-books, ya

Departures contains two stories from Robin Jones Gunn’s popular series. Now Boarding at Gate 10 finds Christy Miller after high school graduation, on a family trip to Wisconsin. In the Event of a Water Landing is part of the Sierra Jensen series.

I had never read anything by Gunn and did not realize that these stories were part of a series. Someone who has read the other books would probably like this one. I don’t like to read books out of order, but with some books, you can do that and still hav...more Departures contains two stories from Robin Jones Gunn’s popular series. Now Boarding at Gate 10 finds Christy Miller after high school graduation, on a family trip to Wisconsin. In the Event of a Water Landing is part of the Sierra Jensen series.

I had never read anything by Gunn and did not realize that these stories were part of a series. Someone who has read the other books would probably like this one. I don’t like to read books out of order, but with some books, you can do that and still have an idea of what’s going on. These two stories are okay as stand-alone stories, but for the most part, I think you should skip this book unless you’re a fan of Gunn’s other books.

Now Boarding at Gate 10 felt as if it were missing too much information. I just didn’t know any of the back-story and I felt like I was playing catch-up through the whole thing. After reading Departures, I looked online and apparently Christy and Todd dated for a few years. Knowing that (and possibly other things I don’t know that I don’t know) would have made the story flow better for me. This is why I really dislike reading books out of order.

I’m trying to remember how weird my friends and I were at 15, because from the perspective of a 35-year-old, I don’t really like Sierra Jensen or her friend Jana. Jana has picked this summer to “grow up” and start dating and Sierra isn’t sure she’s ready for that yet. Which is great. She’s reading her Bible and lecturing her friend… then doing the same things she doesn’t like to see Jana doing. She figures it out in the end, but I didn’t enjoy reading it.

So, I would recommend this for readers of the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series. If you’re not already familiar with Gunn’s characters, skip this book until you’re caught up on the others. I’ve added the Christy Miller books to my to-read list, but I think I’ll pass on the Sierra Jensen stories.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.(less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So what's it about? Well if you are like most Christian homeschooling Mom's you likely already know all about Christy Miller and her friends. If you don't (and if you have a pre-teen/teenage daughter) you are missing out. The series of books that include Christy Miller are written by Robin Jones Gunn (you may know her from Sisterchick fame), and are about a young girl and her friends coming of age. The books begin when Christy is around 14 and stay with her through college and into marriage. The...more So what's it about? Well if you are like most Christian homeschooling Mom's you likely already know all about Christy Miller and her friends. If you don't (and if you have a pre-teen/teenage daughter) you are missing out. The series of books that include Christy Miller are written by Robin Jones Gunn (you may know her from Sisterchick fame), and are about a young girl and her friends coming of age. The books begin when Christy is around 14 and stay with her through college and into marriage. They are clean, wholesome books, but they are not unrealistic, everyone makes mistakes in life, even Christy and her friends.

Departures is a book that contains two novellas, one centered on Christy, the other on her friend Sierra Jensen. In face here's the synopsis: Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10

After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be.
In the Event of a Water Landing

Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences.

Would I recommnd it: Well I figure you really don't want my opinion on this one, since the book is geared to the YA crowd and I am definitely not YA (Young Adult). So I asked the best YA reader I know: My 14 year old daughter. She read through the book(s) and returned with a resounding yes. She loves Christy Miller and was very glad to have the opportunity to read another book about her. She gives it 5 stars. She is sure you will too.

This book was provided to me by Waterbrook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for books program all opinions are my own.(less)

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May 02, 2011 Maureen Timerman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10
After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought...more Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10
After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be.

In the Event of a Water Landing
Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences.

As Robin was cleaning out her house for her move to Hawaii she found a couple of previously published manuscripts and we now benefit from this find.

The book Departures are two novelettes and very quick reads. The first is the story of Christy going home to Wisconsin for her Grandparents 50th anniversary. There she finds Matthew...the boy she had a crush on for many of her Elementary thru HS. He takes her on a trip back in time around the area. Although she has already met Todd, he is gone on a Mission and they have broken us. Makes you want to read more of Christy's story!

The Second novelette is the story of Sierra Jensen and her trip to spend a long weekend in Montana. The girls are growing up and not sure which direction they are headed. This one gives a few chuckles along the way, and is very enjoyable.

This book is geared towards the Teenage set, and is the beginning of a set of great series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.(less)

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Apr 27, 2011 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Departures contains two very short novellas about two girls that Robin has other books about. The first part of the book is called Now Boarding at Gate 10, is about Christy. She flies to previous home tome in Wisconsin to celebrate her grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary. While she is there she meets up with her elementary crush Matthew and he takes her on a tour of her past. Christy spends a lot of time reflecting on her personal relationships, her future and relationship with God.

The second...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ten years ago I read the Christy Miller series of books by Robin Jones Gunn, after a good friend recommended them for their spiritual application. Spiritual? A set of teen books? Usually these things are all fluff--which girl likes which boy, blah blah blah. Yes, there is some of that here. HOWEVER, I had clearly underestimated Ms. Gunn. Not only are the spiritual applications there, the characters also seem so real--as in, they go through challenges, have ups and downs, pray and try to let God...more

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May 20, 2011 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Departures contains two novellas about the adventures that Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen go on during one of their summers. Since I’ve read all of the books in the Christy Miller series, I was really able to enjoy and connect with that story more than the Sierra Jensen one. One of the many reasons I continue to read Robin Jones Gunn’s books is because she provides such spiritual refreshment and creates characters that can relate to teen girls, no matter the generation. Although it does seem t...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Hattie Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These two novellas about two different girls, Christy and Sierra show that all journeys are different not only in a physical way but also in a spiritual way. I think this is why the stories are so enjoyable. Christy and Sierra have such different personality types. In the first story "Now Boarding at Gate 10," Christy is on her way to the Fiftieth Anniversary party for her grandparents in the Wisconsin Dells. I really became involved with the way Christy would think about what God would want or...more These two novellas about two different girls, Christy and Sierra show that all journeys are different not only in a physical way but also in a spiritual way. I think this is why the stories are so enjoyable. Christy and Sierra have such different personality types. In the first story "Now Boarding at Gate 10," Christy is on her way to the Fiftieth Anniversary party for her grandparents in the Wisconsin Dells. I really became involved with the way Christy would think about what God would want or to do or how He would want her to do it.

"Well, after meeting some friends in California who were really open about being committed to the Lord. I realized that being a Christian was a lot more than just going to church. I wanted a deeper commitment too. I wanted God to be the center of my life and not just off to the side."

"In the Event of a Water Landing" is the novella about Sierra. Not shocking, there is a layover as the kids wait for a plane take off. After a bit of a disagreement with Jana who seems to want to do everything differently and correctly, Gregg, Sierra, Tim and Jana decide to spend the time having fun by making a stop at the Mall of America. Tim blasts off with happiness. He wants to go to Legoland. Jana with a no-no attitude made the characters seem real not like perfect little Christians. She added a bit of pepper to the novella.

"Jana looked miserable. She kept glancing to the right and then to the left, as if someone were lurking in the shadows, ready to jump out and steal her backpack."

There are many twists and turns in this novella including mixed up feelings about who loves whom. Yes, puppy love does play a big part in this story. Altogether both novellas are fun. I will never forget Sierra's tie skirt. She sewed it herself using her father's old ties. It's moments like this that make this novel special.

"Sierra liked it so much. Made from a collection of her dad's old ties, the skirt was distinctive. Each of the wide ties was opened up and sewn together at the sides so that all the pointed ends came to just above her knee."(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Chris Curtis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: robin-jones-gunn, christian

This book contains two novellas featuring Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen. In Now Boarding at Gate 10 Christy and her famliy travel to Wisconsin to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of her grandparents. Christy has broken up with her boyfriend Todd and her heart is still sad over the decision. In Wisconsin she reconnects with Matthew, a friend she grew up with and had a crush on. Christy reflects on relationships through watching her parents, grandparentsand what she has learned about God.

In the...more

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May 16, 2011 Trinity Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Departures by Robin Jones Gunn is two different stories that were written years ago and Robin and her agent decided to publish them again. I’m very glad they did because these two stories, one about Christy Miller and the other about Sierra Jensen are really fantastic stories. I’ve never read Robin’s books about Christy or Sierra, but have heard many good things about them.
I like that in this book at one point both Christy and Sierra are in the same scene, but don’t talk or become friends. That...more

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May 20, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very cute story. I haven't read any of the Christy Miller or Sierra Jensen books before this. I thought it was going to be a novel but it's really two novellas. The stories were very cute, for the 18 and under age group. I always like books where two stories collide. When you can find characters from a series in the authors new books. It always makes me smile. My favorite of the two stories would have to be the Christy Miller story, Now Boarding at Gate 10. It was very cute. I was hop...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Norma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has two short stories in it that are part of a much larger series. They are ok reads on their own, but there is a lot of back story that I was missing out on.

I did enjoy the book. But I felt that I would have enjoyed it much more if I would have read the entire series.

I don’t think I will be going back to read the earlier books, because I didn’t enjoy it that much.

It didn’t have that same grip over me that many other books have. I think it is because they were short stories and it was...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Pamela Hubbard rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: character-doorway, young-adult, setting-doorway, relationships, reality-fiction, christian-fiction, travel-fiction

This was a pretty dull, predicable book. I picked it up because I love Gunn's writing and I have read both the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series. I don't know if it's because these were "novellas" that some of the storylines seemed rushed and unrealistic, but I had a hard time really immersing myself in the stories. The characters were consistent with how they were in the series, and it was fun to read about them again, but the stories were just missing something.
In the Christy Miller po...more

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May 22, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love young adult books. For me, short stories aren't favorites of mine. I am always left feeling as if things were just dropped and left. It always feels so unfinished to me. I really enjoyed the first story of Christy returning to her home town for her grandparents anniversary after high school graduation. When she returns she is told that her first crush, Matt is looking to call on her. Is it possible to have a new beginning with her first crush? Is he even interested? I thought the author d...more

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May 03, 2011 Desiree Depinet rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before I share my review of this book, I must say the following;I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

This book was comprised of two short stories about Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen. The stories were definiely aimed at teenage girls. I think I would have enjoyed the stories better if I had read the series the author had written about each of the characters. It was hard to connect with the characters because it was assumed the reader had alre...more

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May 23, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: firstreads

I received this book through the FirstReads giveaway. Departures is 2 stories in one book. In the first story, Christy Miller goes back to her hometown and reconnects with Matthew, and old friend. In the second story, Sierra Jensen goes on a weekend vacation to Montana with her friend Jana and Jana's family. This book is geared toward teenagers and would make a great summer read. I really enjoyed it. The plot flowed at a good pace, and the characters were very relatable.

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May 22, 2011 Anastacia Knits rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, christian, first-reads, series, short-stories

This was a young adult book that included two longer short stories about two very separate young teenage girls. I have never read a book by this author but I had no problem jumping into either short story. I greatly enjoyed the first one about Christy Miller, but did not enjoy the second story at all. About 70 pages into the second story, all of a sudden the main character, Sierra, starts talking about God & religion & that felt very fake to me. Why did 70 pages pass before the first men...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

These two novellas--one about Christy Miller and the other about Sierra Jensen--were cute and well written,but they weren't nearly as good as her full length novels;however,if I hadn't read them,I wouldn't have understood some of the happenings in the books in Christy and Todd The College Years nearly as well.

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Jun 10, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book off amazon years ago and finally read it. I loved the extra stories about Christy and Sierra and about died when they saw each other at the airport but didn't know one another yet!

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Aug 22, 2012 Ashley Townsend rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This actually got me started on the Cooper Ellis series, which is really great for teens. A little more like the Sierra Jensen series rather than the Christy Miller series, which I was fond of.

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Apr 30, 2011 Caitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book in a goodreads contest. I'm very happy to have won this book. I can't wait to read it. It looks very fun and interesting.

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May 23, 2011 Bill Tillman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, christian-fiction, culture, young-adult, ya, christian-romance, ecosystems, fiction, romance

Two great short stories 'novellas', well worth reading for any young person from middle grade on up.

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Apr 26, 2010 Michele Minor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-fiction

This is a collection of three novellas by the two authors starring the main characters from each of their series for teenagers. The three novellas each deal with travelling and going on vacation. Each of the girls learn a valuable lesson while on vacation in their various places. Though with Robin Jones Gunn's two novellas both Sierra Jensen and Christy Miller make an appearance in each other's book though you will need to look closely to find it.

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Aug 01, 2011 Kaity-Jane Culbertson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book! Review coming soon!

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Jul 02, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-read-books, own

I won this book as a goodreads giveaway. This is a book with 2 novellas about to high school girls trying to find there way into the dating world. I think this would be a good read for any girl in high school trying to find where she belongs. This is a very fast read.

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Apr 28, 2009 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-books

This was a book composed of three shorter stories. I really love Robin Jones Gunn and her series, but this book wasn't super - the short stories didn't really add to the overall series. The third story and author was one I had never heard of before.

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Mar 11, 2012 Shannon Baas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great young adult book. It describes 2 young ladies who are Christians and their first crushes and romances. They cross paths in the airport but don't realize it. Takes place over the 4th of July. I would recommend this.

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Aug 25, 2011 Kerith rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Worth a read if you are a fan of the Christy Miller/Sierra Jensen books -- fills in holes for Christy and gives you a bit of earlier history on Sierra. Otherwise it's just okay.

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May 31, 2011 Natalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked it, but it wasn't as fun because I knew what was going to happen.

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About Robin Jones Gunn

Robin’s first grade teacher wrote on her report card, “Robin keeps the entire class entertained at rug time with her stories.”

Even with such an early affirmation, Robin didn’t think much about becoming a writer during high school or college. She was more intrigued by the idea of traveling to foreign lands and telling people about God’s love.

But Robin’s husband also noticed her gift for storytellin...more

More about Robin Jones Gunn...

Books by Robin Jones Gunn

Christy Miller Collection, Vol. 1 (Christy Miller, #1-3)

Christy Miller Collection, Vol. 2 (Christy Miller, #4-6)

Christy Miller Collection, Vol. 3 (Christy Miller, #7-9)

Christy Miller Collection, Vol. 4 (Christy Miller, #10-12)

Sisterchicks on the Loose (Sisterchicks, #1)

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