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Sierra Jensen #7
Open Your Heart
While on a trip to Switzerland with her friend and her friend's aunt, Sierra meets a very special young man, and all three women learn important lessons about love and forgiveness
156 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1997
3 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Robin Jones Gunn
162 books2,633 followersROBIN JONES GUNN has written more than 100 books with over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide. Her Father Christmas books have been made into three Hallmark Christmas movies. The timeless Christy Miller series now continues in Christy & Todd: The College Years, Married Years, Baby Years, and the Haven Maker series. Robin's novels and non-fiction works include Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, Victim of Grace, Praying for Your Future Husband, and Before You Meet Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Her books have received multiple awards and are a favorite with book clubs and study groups. Many of Robin's books are in eBook, audiobook, large print, and foreign editions. Robin does a weekly Podcast called "Women Worth Knowing" with Cheryl Brodersen. Robin and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in California.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 29, 2015
Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, and Aunt Marti go on a week-long trip to Switzerland. On their first day there, they meet a boy named Alex on the train. He flirts with the two teenage girls and sits down next to them. First, they are a little wary about him, but after confessing to him that they are Christians, he's all like "I'm a Christian, too!" Instantly he has all their trust.
Then he springs this little gem on them:
"I must tell you something," Alex said, pouring his coffee and looking long at Sierra. "There is a beautiful innocence about you. About both of you. It is as if I am gazing on the first tulips of spring."
Um, ew. Run away, girls! Run far away! But no, instead they think this is cute and charming, and not creepy as all hell.
Anyway, Alex will tag along during this whole book, with Sierra developing quite a crush on him.
Then, we have the inevitable slut-shaming. Sierra has never been kissed in her life. But she has a conversation with Christy, and Christy tells her that
I've only kissed a few guys, but to me a short, tender kiss is way different from a passionate embrace and prolonged, heart-and-soul kissing. You know what I mean?
Basically, Jones Gunn's message of "No French-kissing / no tongue" is continued in this book. You all should know how wonderful and amazing I think kissing is and how saddened I am that Christy and Sierra are not enjoying fun kissing sessions.
This leads to Sierra freaking out over her natural feelings about Alex.
...for a moment his hand brushed against her shoulder. Put your arm all the way around me and draw me close, Alex. I want you to.
Sierra's thoughts surprised her. But they felt natural. She remembered what Christy had said the previous night and wondered if she was feeling affection or passion. Or is affection the beginning of passion? Sierra asked herself. Then she had another mysterious thought: What if I'm the kind of person who can't restrain myself and express only affection? What if my passions suddenly overpower me?
So now, as you can see, we have another teenaged female terrified of her own sexuality. Way to go, Jones Gunn.
...
Then there's the subplot about Marti's past. Seems that she
The books whole handling of this is shit. Absolute shit. Listen to this:
Christy nodded thoughtfully. "But how much of what happens in our lives is because God lets horrible things happen, and how much of it is due to our reaping the consequences of our actions?"
"Is that what you think happened with your aunt?" Sierra asked, surprised at Christy's comment.
"Well, we've all blown it," Christy said. Her clear blue-green eyes carried a soft glow of understanding. "Even after we surrender our lives to the Lord, we still have that tendency to go our own way. And if Marti had a really wild past, a lot of her hurt and anger today probably comes from the consequences of her choices - not random acts of God."
MESSAGE: What a horrible, horrible message to give to people.
This is also confronted later when Sierra is moved by the faces of the orphans she sees in the orphanage and wrestles with what Christy had said.
Christy had said that some of life's problems are "acts of God" - circumstances we may never understand - while other problems are the direct result or consequence of our sins. But Sierra knew that those 300 children hadn't done anything to deserve being orphaned.
And, later
There is no resolution to this.
...
Tl;dr - Teaching girls to be terrified of their sexual feelings, not allowing couples to kiss, telling people that the horrible accidents that happen to them in life are their own fault for sinning against God, and creating a love-interest that was frankly a creeper in my opinion - Jones Gunn doesn't fail to disappoint yet again.
Then he springs this little gem on them:
"I must tell you something," Alex said, pouring his coffee and looking long at Sierra. "There is a beautiful innocence about you. About both of you. It is as if I am gazing on the first tulips of spring."
Um, ew. Run away, girls! Run far away! But no, instead they think this is cute and charming, and not creepy as all hell.
Anyway, Alex will tag along during this whole book, with Sierra developing quite a crush on him.
Then, we have the inevitable slut-shaming. Sierra has never been kissed in her life. But she has a conversation with Christy, and Christy tells her that
I've only kissed a few guys, but to me a short, tender kiss is way different from a passionate embrace and prolonged, heart-and-soul kissing. You know what I mean?
Basically, Jones Gunn's message of "No French-kissing / no tongue" is continued in this book. You all should know how wonderful and amazing I think kissing is and how saddened I am that Christy and Sierra are not enjoying fun kissing sessions.
This leads to Sierra freaking out over her natural feelings about Alex.
...for a moment his hand brushed against her shoulder. Put your arm all the way around me and draw me close, Alex. I want you to.
Sierra's thoughts surprised her. But they felt natural. She remembered what Christy had said the previous night and wondered if she was feeling affection or passion. Or is affection the beginning of passion? Sierra asked herself. Then she had another mysterious thought: What if I'm the kind of person who can't restrain myself and express only affection? What if my passions suddenly overpower me?
So now, as you can see, we have another teenaged female terrified of her own sexuality. Way to go, Jones Gunn.
...
Then there's the subplot about Marti's past. Seems that she
The books whole handling of this is shit. Absolute shit. Listen to this:
Christy nodded thoughtfully. "But how much of what happens in our lives is because God lets horrible things happen, and how much of it is due to our reaping the consequences of our actions?"
"Is that what you think happened with your aunt?" Sierra asked, surprised at Christy's comment.
"Well, we've all blown it," Christy said. Her clear blue-green eyes carried a soft glow of understanding. "Even after we surrender our lives to the Lord, we still have that tendency to go our own way. And if Marti had a really wild past, a lot of her hurt and anger today probably comes from the consequences of her choices - not random acts of God."
MESSAGE: What a horrible, horrible message to give to people.
This is also confronted later when Sierra is moved by the faces of the orphans she sees in the orphanage and wrestles with what Christy had said.
Christy had said that some of life's problems are "acts of God" - circumstances we may never understand - while other problems are the direct result or consequence of our sins. But Sierra knew that those 300 children hadn't done anything to deserve being orphaned.
And, later
There is no resolution to this.
...
Tl;dr - Teaching girls to be terrified of their sexual feelings, not allowing couples to kiss, telling people that the horrible accidents that happen to them in life are their own fault for sinning against God, and creating a love-interest that was frankly a creeper in my opinion - Jones Gunn doesn't fail to disappoint yet again.
March 23, 2023
Open Your Heart was amazing! We got to learn (finally) most of Marti's story and it was surprising how much I forgot about it. I felt so badly for her... I'm glad to see some healing in her new, though, and hope the next book brings even more healing.
Sierra, Christy, and her aunt Marti travel to Switzerland to visit the school Christy is considering. The trip was eventful and they met Alex, who Sierra was interested in getting to know better. He seemed like a great guy and I liked how in the end, when they said their goodbyes, he made it clear that they were friends.
All in all, a great read.
Sierra, Christy, and her aunt Marti travel to Switzerland to visit the school Christy is considering. The trip was eventful and they met Alex, who Sierra was interested in getting to know better. He seemed like a great guy and I liked how in the end, when they said their goodbyes, he made it clear that they were friends.
All in all, a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
I loved this one!! We got to see Christy’s process of deciding to go to school in Switzerland and learned a lot more about Marti. I’m so happy that I’m finally reading these!
September 6, 2017
Sierra, her BFF Christy, and Christy's aunt Marti are headed to Europe...but they'll never expect what hits them. From romance to the revealing of long-held secrets to clumsy pratfalls to even a disaster, it proves to be a trip they'll always remember, and in more than one way. Fans of Sierra Jensen's prior adventures will find plenty to like about Open Your Heart.
August 19, 2025
it was i little slow in the beginning but it got much better!
March 13, 2023
I now know where the missing section of the Christy Miller story is!
March 31, 2023
Christy travels to Switzerland to check out a schooling opportunity with her aunt Marti and Sierra. Marti is very moody on this trip, more than usual. I don't know if this is because she's traveling without her husband, or other reasons.
On the train, Sierra and Christy meet a young man Alex
We finally learn more about Marti and it is so sad!
I'm hoping to read the rest of the series soon.
On the train, Sierra and Christy meet a young man Alex
We finally learn more about Marti and it is so sad!
I'm hoping to read the rest of the series soon.
December 16, 2025
Number of pages: 143
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: Sierra Jensen Series #7
Age recommendation: High School (15/16)
Summary: Sierra has been invited to go to Switzerland with Christy and her aunt Marti. On the train, Sierra meets a kind Russian college student named Alexander - and he’s a Christian too! However, Marti is concerned about Sierra’s new friend and doesn’t want her to spend time with Alex.
My thoughts: It was a pretty cheesy book, but I did like a lot of the messages. This book focused on making relationships not so much about “dating” or “finding your future husband” but about getting to know people and making new friends. You don’t have to be boyfriend and girlfriend to hang out together and enjoy each other’s company. I liked that emphasis. The whole “I hold you in my heart” thing and “love you fervently” thing was a little cheesy as I mentioned, but in a sweet way.
I liked how the girls got to speak with Marti in the book. I’ll admit, some of the stuff Marti alluded to in the Christy books really made me want to find out what happened so it was very satisfying to finally hear the whole story. It makes more sense now why Marti acts how she does.
It did annoy me that Sierra kind of got a fourth boyfriend in this book, but at least with the whole “friend rather than boyfriend” message it wasn’t so bad.
I really related to Sierra’s impulsiveness in this book and her saying stuff without really thinking. I’m glad it turned out well for her because it usually doesn’t so much for me. I think I’m more similar to Sierra than Christy, which makes me enjoy this series a bit more than I did the Christy books.
I think I mentioned this in my last book review, but I am definitely over the recommended reading age for this book, so I am not enjoying this book as much as I would have at age fifteen. Overall though, it was still a good book that I would recommend.
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: Sierra Jensen Series #7
Age recommendation: High School (15/16)
Summary: Sierra has been invited to go to Switzerland with Christy and her aunt Marti. On the train, Sierra meets a kind Russian college student named Alexander - and he’s a Christian too! However, Marti is concerned about Sierra’s new friend and doesn’t want her to spend time with Alex.
My thoughts: It was a pretty cheesy book, but I did like a lot of the messages. This book focused on making relationships not so much about “dating” or “finding your future husband” but about getting to know people and making new friends. You don’t have to be boyfriend and girlfriend to hang out together and enjoy each other’s company. I liked that emphasis. The whole “I hold you in my heart” thing and “love you fervently” thing was a little cheesy as I mentioned, but in a sweet way.
I liked how the girls got to speak with Marti in the book. I’ll admit, some of the stuff Marti alluded to in the Christy books really made me want to find out what happened so it was very satisfying to finally hear the whole story. It makes more sense now why Marti acts how she does.
It did annoy me that Sierra kind of got a fourth boyfriend in this book, but at least with the whole “friend rather than boyfriend” message it wasn’t so bad.
I really related to Sierra’s impulsiveness in this book and her saying stuff without really thinking. I’m glad it turned out well for her because it usually doesn’t so much for me. I think I’m more similar to Sierra than Christy, which makes me enjoy this series a bit more than I did the Christy books.
I think I mentioned this in my last book review, but I am definitely over the recommended reading age for this book, so I am not enjoying this book as much as I would have at age fifteen. Overall though, it was still a good book that I would recommend.
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
April 9, 2019
Great book, loved it!
December 3, 2019
As we grow, we change.
September 20, 2023
AW YAYYY THE ENDING WAS SO CUTE
November 15, 2023
Very fun trip with good friends Christy and Sierra and the always interesting Aunt Marti! I love how RJG puts so many details in her books about travel that reflect her own travels there.
June 3, 2025
"This was a good book but not my favorite of the series." -Cadee, age 12
March 19, 2009
I liked how Christy played a big part in this book, seeing her through the eyes of Sierra was also pretty cool. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to fans of the Christy Miller series.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
Read
March 26, 2010F GUN sj bk.6
November 20, 2017
Sierra gets to run around Europe, again, with Christy, which always seems like a convenient way to show Christy's adventures through Sierra.
March 17, 2013
March 2013 re-read.
June 14, 2014
it was great! <3
September 30, 2014
Easy reading. :)
September 5, 2018
Last read May 2011
March 29, 2018
Amazing book
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews