Mixed Signals

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Love Is on the Air Belle O’Brien, the woman behind the warmest voice in Virginia radio, has one Her oldies show on WPER-FM is a solid-gold hit, but her love life, at thirty-two years and counting, is an off-the-charts disaster. The pickings are slim in small-town Abingdon. Will it be smooth-talking Patrick Reese, the man who launched her radio career a decade earlier? Moody but handsome David Cahill, the chief engineer with a mysterious past and a new life in Christ? Or Matthew the Methodist, her pastor across the street? Surrounded by an on-air cast of colorful characters, Belle’s journey toward joy is filled with humor, heartache, and endless surprises. Norah Silver-Smyth, her friend and encourager, will join Belle in discovering that it’s never too late to listen to your heart. “One of the most delightful surprises I’ve had all year— a first novel that moved me to both laughter and tears!” Susan Wiggs, USA Today bestselling author Love Is on the Air Belle O’Brien, the woman behind the warmest voice in Virginia radio, has a Her oldies show is a solid-gold hit, but her love life is an off-the-charts disaster. Her prospects for a husband are small-town slim. Will it be smooth-talking Patrick Reese, who launched her radio career? Moody but handsome David Cahill, WPER’s enigmatic broadcast engineer? Matthew the Methodist, her oh-so-available pastor? Or the mysterious radio listener who signs his letters, “All Ears in Abingdon”? As Belle embarks on a journey toward joy, Norah Silver-Smyth, proprietor of The Silver Spoon, cooks up her own delicious recipe for happily-ever-after in this winsome tale filled with humor, tenderness, endless surprises…and two happy endings! “Liz Curtis Higgs…has succeeded magnificently with her first fictional effort.” K-LOVE News & Reviews “Christian fiction isn’t known for humorous books, so this title is a special joy.” Library Journal “Great laughs, good solid story, surprises and twists, and great characters.” Francine Rivers, bestselling author of Redeeming Love “Absolutely wonderful. An outstanding and heart-warming debut!” Angela Elwell Hunt, author of The Note “Mixed Signals was my sweet reward at the end of my demanding days…a most satisfying treat!” Jane Johnson Struck, Senior Editor, Today’s Christian WomanStory Behind the BookBefore she became a platform speaker, Liz Curtis Higgs spent ten years as a successful radio personality, moving town to town, up and down the dial. In Mixed Signals, Liz draws on that memorable decade to create WPER, an oldies station in Abingdon , Virginia . The Barter Theater was included with thanks to her experience with amateur drama productions, and the ten hot-air balloon ascents she weathered while a broadcaster were also put to use. Her heroine, Belle, marries a radio station engineer…just as Liz did nearly twenty years ago. But there the parallels end in this winsome tale with two happy endings.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 1999

About the author

Former Bad Girl, grateful for the grace God offers. Happy wife of Bill, one of the Good Guys. Proud mom of two grown-up kids with tender hearts. Lame housekeeper. Marginal cook. Pitiful gardener. Stuff I love? Encouraging my sisters in Christ—across the page, from the platform, online, in person. Unpacking Scripture. Traveling wherever God leads. Listening to His heart. Leaning into His embrace.

Reviews

[Katrina Hamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, sweet, with a spunky heroine you’ll wish was your friend! I liked how the plot took a few unexpected turns, and the characters were each forced to stretch out of their comfort zone and grow. There is a strong message of grace and learning to accept and give forgiveness. The only negative thing I can think of is there is one character who turns to faith really quickly, and I would have liked a little more lead-up. That, and I was always craving freshly baked muffins while I read! I enjoyed the background of radio, as it was something I knew absolutely nothing about. I laughed, I cried, it was a fresh and light Christian romance.
I was torn between four and five stars, I wish I could give half stars!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story of radio, family, and romance.

[Kellie Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how much I absolutely adore this book. ❤️❤️❤️

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. let me start off by saying that I just absolutely LOVE Liz Curtis Higgs, and she is one of the best motivational speakers I have ever had the pleasure of listening too. Now, with that being said, let me just say that I was absolutely nervous about reading her novel; especially when I saw that this was the first purely fictional novel she had ever written. I love Mrs. Higgs and the passion she shows for the Lord, and I was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy her as an author.

HOWEVER, that all changed once I truly drove into the novel and situation myself in the small town in Virginia. I will say that the book started off a little slow as all of the different characters were being introduced, but then the further along the story went, the more I began to fall in love with each of them. The beginning makes perfect since once you read the ending, so for everyone out there- KEEP READING.

I know that not everyone has had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Higgs, but let me just say that in every chapter of this novel you can hear her laugh and her words. I felt like in some situations I could see her having that happen to her in her actual life. Once, I was blessed to be apart of a women's seminar, and my favorite part of hearing this amazing woman speak, was to hear her explain to us why we are beloved by God almighty. I felt like in a round about way, this novel did just that as well.

It was very well written and I am so glad that I noticed her works at my local library.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good light story about a lady who works in radio moving to a small town. She makes new friends and reconnects with an old one, while falling in love with a small town life and a man who wants to escape the small town.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

100 pages too long. The characters were all cut from the same cloth--self absorbed and smug. It was difficult to connect with them.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and enjoyable, with a bit of sentiment

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried hard to get into this story, but could not after 60 pages in.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually two love stories in one book. There is the story of Belle and David and then Norah and Patrick. I especially enjoyed about Belle and Norah and how their friendship grew. The romance plot was okay. I do find cliche this idea of being able to tell who is the "one" by the sparks that fly during a kiss.
Plot and setting was okay. There were funny moments too. Didn't understand why Belle was so mad at Patrick when she found out he had been responsible for engineering her career break.
All in all, an okay book.
This is a 3.5 rating for me.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

While there are moments of sweetness, Mixed Signals just had too many issues to continue. Not a single character acts like a human being. All are self-absorbed and unlikeable, especially the FMC. She doesn't like another woman just because she's in her early twenties and starting a new job!

I ended up DNFing at around one hundred pages, and even that was a slog to get through. Descriptions are overly long with excessive detail no one asked for. At times, the humor comes off as extremely cringe worthy.

[Joyce Mante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book in a used book stall at Green Dragon in Lancaster, PA. I knew of Liz, and had, actually met her when she spoke at a conference I helped organize, but had not read any of her books! This was a wonderful start. Her characters are very relatable and their stories have many engaging twists and turns. The radio station setting added interesting depth. I decided I want to be Norah when I grow up! I'm looking forward to reading more of both her fiction and non-fiction books!

[Andrea Cox]

I struggled to get into this story, but I think it was more the too-thin, too-light font type than the story, as the font gave me headaches. The story was entertaining enough but felt slow in the first sixty-six pages. The set-up was what felt sluggish to me.

Because of the headaches, I DNFed at page 66.

Content: tobacco

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed Signals Higgs, Liz Curtis 4 Hist.F Radio host tired of bouncing around settles in small Va town with former boss, things crash, befriend her landlady & falls for engineer with past & family never met sort out Christian fiction+Faith stories 2017 3/14/2017 3/10/2017

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit predictable, but fun story written in true Lizzy humor!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read--light and entertaining.

[Kw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply charming. Hard to believe this was her first novel!

[Carolyn Tye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

[Esa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off fairly slow. But picks up and turns into something you don’t want to put down.

[Bridget Osei-Owusu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! And oh how lovely for the couple to be married on no other day than 5th June🌻💕

[K.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet, Hallmark-ish book!

[Robyn Klepfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiveness, redemption, and laugh-out-loud moments, this is my favorite Liz Curtis Higgs book 🥰

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute & quirky romance.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story. Light and easy to read which was what I wanted this week while off work. I enjoyed it even if it was kind of cheesy.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, witty word play, silly, sweet. Nice change of pace compared to what I normally read.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallmark movie in a book format

[Bruce Judisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Nuther great book. She’s on a roll.

Ms. Higgs sets Mixed Signals in the radio industry, one with which she’s intimately familiar, being a radio personality herself. Her comfort with the broadcasting environment (there’s even a glossary of jargon at the beginning of the book) is as evident as her comfort with the genre. And that’s really comfortable.

This one is going to be difficult to summarize for two reasons:

First, I would like to fuss over our heroine, Belle O’Brien, but I’m still nursing a crush on Emily Getz, and, well, you know about two-timers… Belle is a treat in her own right—a very believable personality with just enough angst to make her lovable (but not be annoyed with), just good looking enough to want to meet (but not drool over), and has just enough faith to grow with (not roll your eyes at). In her mid-thirties, love has studiously avoided Belle through the years of her ‘prime’. Her career as a disc jockey has soared with the eagles and crash-landed with the dodo birds alternately—making empathy with her story even more attainable.

Second, the story offers an early twist that a thorough synopsis will only spoil. Suffice it to say that Belle comes to Abingdon, Virginia, to anchor middays at a start-up oldies radio station. A former colleague has enticed her away from one of the dodo-bird landings in Chicago, and she accepts, wondering if perhaps there may be more to the job offer than just a job. That’s all you get to hear about that.

She meets Norah, who becomes her landlord and best friend; runs into David (literally), the station engineer, who harbors some subtle secrets of his own; jousts with Patrick, the infuriatingly charming owner and station manager, and—well, there’s a whole cast of characters who color the story in their own unique ways. As you’d expect, adventures and misadventures abound in Belle’s world as she finds her way to love through her angst, her faith and With A Little Help From Her Friends (yes, that’s an oldies pun and I’m just hokey enough to be proud of it.)

Ms. Higgs’ pen again flows with a subtle—and sometimes not so subtle—witty prose that is a joy to read. Gentle sub-plots undergird the story that enhance its pathos and deliver its message of hope in wonderful style. This is another sure bet, if you like quirky realism and human interest that really is interesting.

(Two-timing aside; Emily, if you don't start answering my e-mails, you may just get bumped by Belle. Last chance.)

Thanks, Liz, for another delightful story. (I got all three words in this time, if you noticed.)

[AlixJamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting Francine Rivers. I got Dee Henderson.
For the most part, I enjoyed the book. The dialogue was good, the plot was pretty good (though it was infallibly predictable), the characters...they were good, and the Christian message was, if not inspiring, at least wholesome and on track.
But Dee Henderson is not Francine Rivers and Liz Curtis Higgs isn't either. Their fiction is upper-end for Christian authors because they keep the characters real, but they still can't avoid cliches and overdrawn, sappy romance.
I almost put this book down because I didn't think it was actually going to get good. But David came along and Patrick got dumped and things started to look up.
I was interested basically to the end, but the hot air balloon episode did me in. That was horrible. And tacky. And silly. The only comfort I had was that David did not propose to Belle in an absurd situation, reminiscent of Elizabeth and Will from "Pirates of the Caribbean". That, at least, the reader was spared.
And I got a little tired of long descriptions of each person every time (almost) that they came in contact with each other. Thank you, but I believe I am capable of remembering what a person looks like without needing to be reminded every other paragraph.
I would recommend this book for a light read, but if you're expecting Francine Rivers (I was hopeful, after I saw that she recommended it) you will be sorely disappointed.
And, I thought the back cover was sorely deceiving.

[Alanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed Signals, which is Higgs first fiction novel, is an endearing book full of romance, heartbreak, humor, and suspense. As I read this book, I felt like I lived in Abingdon, Virginia, next door to Norah and Belle, and experienced all their ups and downs of their relationships with each other and the guys in their lives! Higgs does I great job of weaving together the plot and bringing several unexpected turns into the story. The faithfulness of God's grace is a steady factor throughout the book.

As the title suggests, the residents of Abingdon face their share of miscommunication all while being affilated with a small town radio station WPER - PER for personality. :-) Belle's own lovable personality wins over the whole town including the boss, Patrick, and the engineer, David. But what about Sherry, the mother of David's son Josh, who have lived in California for the last eight years? How do they fit in? I suggest you carve out a couple of hours, and sit down with Mixed Signals -- I warn you, you may not be able to put the book down! Enjoy! :-)

[Jordan Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A predictable but enjoyable read. I loved Belle! She was such a witty, funny character, and I loved all the dilemmas she found herself in. I liked the gradual love story between her and David as they both learned to trust one another and relying on God's timing. I also really liked David and his determination to do the right thing, even if that meant living on next to nothing so he could support a son he'd never had the chance to see. Norah, Patrick, and the rest of the radio station gang were all a lot of fun, and I liked all the other romances that played out. The small town setting was great, especially with all the historical touches, and a job at a radio station wasn't something I'd read before. I saw the ending coming, but I still loved the interactions between David and Josh, and I was glad that he and Sherry worked things out. I was also glad that Norah's meddling brought David's dad back into his life. Belle and David were so sweet together, and I'm glad they found their happy ending.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review from my old blog...

I absolutely adore Ms. Higgs Scottish series. In all honesty I cannot get enough of those characters and love her writing style. I've never read anything else of hers before and I was not disappointed in this book.

Ms. Higgs drew me in to the lives of her characters: the main character and the other secondary characters. Even though I had accidentally read a few sentences from the last couple pages and knew how things ended up I wanted to know how Belle would get there.

So many times Ms. Higgs threw another wrench in the path of Belle and David. I kept wondering how they were going to overcome those obstacles in the remaining pages of the book. Although I think that Ms. Higgs resolved them reasonably there were a few times that I wondered how Belle could get over her anger/impatience with David within the space of just a few seconds.

The ending of the book (even though I knew it was coming) is a little on the too perfect side.