Heading Home

A.J. #3

by Renee Riva

For eight years, A.J. Degulio has been itching to get back to her beloved Indian Island. It’s home. But a lot has Sailor moves slower, Danny has grown into a man ... and A.J. has a promise to keep but it doesn’t include Danny. When Danny discovers the truth, he’s shocked and hurt. But he won’t stand in the way of what she really wants. What’s a girl to do? She wants to keep her promise and Danny. But Danny has plans of his own. Can they work it out? It will take compromise and laughter before Danny and A.J. figure out that home is more than a place on the map. It’s a place in the heart.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Romance, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Young Adult

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Renee Riva has been writing humorous stories ever since she won her first writing contest in second grade. She now has over 20 titles and writes inspirational fiction for David C. Cook, and clean romance for Forget Me Not Romances. Her main categories are: coming of age, YA, romantic comedies, Historical Romance, chapter books and children's picture books.
Renee's ideas come from a happy childhood that she shared with 6 fun, loud Italians, and wouldn't trade those years or her siblings for anything in the world.
She is currently having her books narrated into audio-books for audio listeners.
Renee is a mom, a wife, an animal lover, and a kid at heart. She loves to hear from her readers and tries to answer all of her letters so drop me a line if you like!

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls)]

About this book:

“For eight years, A.J. Degulio has been itching to get back to her beloved Indian Island. It’s home. But a lot has changed: Sailor moves slower, Danny has grown into a man ... and A.J. has a promise to keep but it doesn’t include Danny. When Danny discovers the truth, he’s shocked and hurt. But he won’t stand in the way of what she really wants. What’s a girl to do? She wants to keep her promise and Danny. But Danny has plans of his own. Can they work it out? It will take compromise and laughter before Danny and A.J. figure out that home is more than a place on the map. It’s a place in the heart.”


Series: Book #2 in the “A.J.” series. Reviews of #.5 Here, Book #1 Here, and Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are read, mentioned, & talked about; Prayers; Church going, Mass, & sermons; Talks about God, religions, & churches; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; *Spoiler* AJ is considering becoming a sister (she does not become one though) *End of Spoiler*; A church retreat; Many mentions of God & Jesus; Many mentions of churches, church going, preaching, & hymns; Many mentions of Catholics, Baptists, Orthodoxies, & their churches; Many mentions of nuns/sisters, priests, vows, mass, calling, convents, confessions, missions/charity work, & catechism; Mentions of prayers, blessings over food, & thanking God; Mentions of faiths & loving God; Mentions of hearing from God & His will; Mentions of Bibles, reading, & lessons; Mentions of a Bible study; Mentions of a youth group, Sunday school, & becoming a pastor; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of a Christian camp; Mentions of denominations; Mentions of holy people; Mentions of Mother Teresa; Mentions of saints & saint statues; Mentions of a church’s mosaics; Mentions of Easter; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of the Nativity; A few mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of Spiritual matters; A mention of Billy Graham;
*Note: A couple mentions of superstitions & bad luck; A couple mentions of Apollo & Hercules; A couple mentions of going to Hell; A mention of a movie with ‘Hell’ in the title; A mention of Greek goddesses.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, a ‘holy cow’, a form of ‘shut up’, a ‘what the heck’, three forms of ‘dang’, three forms of ‘dumb’, three ‘heck’s, three ‘stupid’s, four forms of ‘darn’, four ‘geez’s, five forms of ‘idiot’, six ‘oh my gosh’s; A bit of eye rolling;
Mentions of almost drowning (in Book #1); Mentions of pain & injuries; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & fake IDs; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of manure; A few mentions of gossip; A few mentions of tattoos; A few mentions of a dog that was on death row & putting a dog down; A couple mentions of a dog that killed a duck (not-detailed); A mention of the Mafia;
*Note: Mentions of pop culture, TV shows, characters, celebrities, movies, songs, books, & brands; Mentions of Barbie; A couple mentions of Girl Scouts.


Sexual Content- two cheek (goodbye) kisses, a cheek kiss, an almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, eight barely-above-not-detailed kisses, two semi-detailed kisses; Touches & Hand Holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some Noticing; a ‘babe’, a few ‘hunk’s, and eleven ‘wench’; Mentions of vows of chastity; Mentions of girlfriends, boyfriends, cute boys, breakups/dumping, PDA, kisses & kissing; Mentions of heart-breakers & a two-timer; Mentions of girls laying claims to guys; Mentions of chaperones; Mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of wanting to fall asleep next to someone & wake up next to them; A couple married couples kissing; A couple mentions of men staring at AJ’s sister; A couple mentions of blushes; Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A few mentions of fannies/behinds; A mention of a song about shaking a booty; A mention of the statue of David; A couple mentions of a period.

-AJ Degulio, age 18
1st person P.O.V. of AJ
Set in 1976
258 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
This is completely bittersweet! It’s the last AJ adventure! Wahhh! This was honestly such a fun series & I enjoyed every single one!
I found that in this book, the first 100 pages were so angsty! I was nearly panicking a few times over what was happening. I didn’t laugh quite as much as the previous books (but that’s probably because her family wasn’t in this one so much), but still did laugh at different times. I thought that ending was perfect.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Cindy]

Eight years is a long time to carry a flame for someone. Even if you are keeping their dog for them. But what if you are fourteen and the girl is only ten. A.J. Degulio has always known she would return to Indian Island, her childhood friend Danny and her dog Sailor.

However Danny is not a young teenage boy anymore, he is a six foot dream boat, and A.J. is not the only who notices. And she doesn't like that one bit. But after she tells Danny she thinks she may have a calling to be a nun, he is fair game for the local girls.

This novel unfolds into a scene similar to my Big Fat Greek Wedding. Craziness rules once A. J. and Danny come to terms that they are meant to be together. Her mother plans the perfect Christmas wedding, that is to take place in November, and does it from half a world away in Italy. So craziness is bound to reign for sure. Will Danny truly want to marry A. J. after he finds out the truth of how crazy her family is? Will the wedding of the century take place? How will the two young lovers come to terms with their religious differences? Will they be Babtholic?

I enjoyed this novel, I laughed at the antics of two people who have lived apart for eight years, and have been close via correspondence, come to terms in person. This book is definitely a nice afternoon read. A great book that will appeal to several different audiences of readers. 258 pages US $14.99 4 stars


This book was provided for review purposes, no payment was received for this review.

[Sofia Marie]

Typical A. J.: The rowboat smashes into the dock with a thud. A startled mallard plunges into the lake and paddles quickly away. “I’m home!” I yell at the top of my lungs. I’ve waited eight long years to hear myself say those two words again.

Quick note: I haven’t read the other two in the series, so maybe some of my thoughts on "Heading Home" aren’t the same as the ones others would have. And at least one spoiler is in there, sorry!

A.J. has been in Italy for 8 years. Now she is finally going back to her home on the island! There she is reunited with her dog Sailor and friend Danny. Has he grown up! The two of them seem to like each other more than just friends. But A. J. was thinking about becoming a nun. And nuns can’t marry. Now A.J. is torn between what she believes to be her calling and her love for Danny. What does God have in store for her?

A. J. is a 18-year-old girl with a wonderful sense of humor. I have laughed at what she says numerous times. An original character, I think. The nun/true love problem is unique too. And her family is large and provides a source of entertainment as well.

Sadly though, mostly there wasn’t that much on living the faith. A. J. would go on with her life and then all of a sudden she thinks about God for a few scenes. And then He’s not there for a while again. Lost in “the fun stuff” A.J. is doing, I guess. Another disappointment was that the whole nun problem was solved too easily and by about the middle of the book! And then the other half was mostly about them planning the wedding. Maybe this is the climax of the whole series and is worth half a book if you’ve read the other two. But if you only have read this one book, it gets boring easily. There is this other problem about them marrying: what church should they be married in? She’s a Catholic and he’s a Baptist. And there’s some discussion about God around that. But when that problem is solved, God is mostly not mentioned till the wedding where she says “thanks” a couple times. Sad.

To sum that all up, "Heading Home" is a book I suppose is better read after the other two in the series. It is a light read with a lot of good, clean humor. But if you want something that really encourages your faith, you just might want to pick up something else.

[Nora St Laurent]

I’m so thankful to have received a review copy of this entertaining and touching book by Renee Riva. This is a charming tale of a girl coming of age, finding true love, discovering what’s important in life and having peace about what God has called her to do. I remembered growing up in an Italian-American Catholic family and could relate to A.J. and her situation on many levels. I found myself smiling as I read and laughing out loud in parts! The way her family interacted reminded me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and how they did family. Fun, Fun, Fun!

A.J.’s best friend and love interest is Danny, a Southern cowboy; he’s waited 8 years for her to return home from Italy and is trying hard to understand the A.J. that has returned and her new mission in life. Danny says to her, “Are we talking nun here, A.J.?”

“um..kind of.”

He exhales, “How can you kind of be a nun?”

“Well, I won’t be kind of a nun. I mean, I’ll be kind of considering being a sister.”

He stares at me dead on. “You’re serious aren’t you?”

Danny doesn’t understand A.J.’s thinking. How can he compete with God for her affections? He respects her choice and leaves A.J. to work this out for herself.

I enjoyed A.J.’s earnest search to do the right thing and follow God no matter what people said. She was confident God would reveal His will for her life. This was a refreshing and fun read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

[Laura]

Heading Home is the last book of the Indian Island trilogy, the first two being Saving Sailor and Taking Tuscany. Angelina Digulio’s family had relocated to Tuscany, Italy, in 1968, when she was 10. In Heading Home, Angelina (aka A.J.) is returning to Indian Island in July, 1976, to study to be a veterinarian. Her friend from Indian Island, Danny Morgan, had been taking care of her dog, Sailor, and corresponding with A.J. throughout the eight years she was gone. This book is about A.J.’s return ‘home.’

This being my first introduction to Renee Riva’s writing, I was enthralled with the simplicity of her very romantic love story. Her writing isn’t simplistic, as the storyline hooks you– hook, line and sinker with such delight. It was a light, airy read but filled with romance, excitement, surprises, and fun. It is so reminiscent of the early 1970s era. A time of sweet love and innocence.

The book swept me off my feet because of its innocent delight. I’d highly recommend Heading Home for a delicious, romantic read. It has the air of the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

This book was supplied by Audra of The B & B Media Group for my honest review. And it was a fantastic read!

[Renee]

Got the book today. Finished it today. LOVED IT. And oh yeah the afterword by the author made me cry it was so romantic LOL!

Full review to come!

[Mary]

So sad it is over! Loved how AJ was torn between Danny and being a nun! Much better than an ordinary love triangle!

[Katherine R]

A little predictable, but an easy, relaxing read.

[Katy Lovejoy]

It's not my favorite but it's pretty good

[Errika Armatrout]

Cute quick read. It will be great to keep for when my daughter might be interested in reading a romance novel.

[Amydeanne]

I had a real struggle with this book, I did not enjoy it… I was totally frustrated with this book for several reasons.

First, was the use of the word squaw - Having an ancestry rich in First Nations (Native American to my Southern friends) a lot of us consider it pretty much a swear word. Just like you wouldn’t use a certain word in reference to a person of African American decent, nor would you say this word to a First Nations person. So to have someone use it so flippantly in a book that is meant to be published globally — well it just flamed my senses. I mean I seriously got heated up in my face and embarrassed — Most people I know would agree that that the word “squaw” should be retired from public use.

If you want to understand more about it Wikipedia has a great pile of information on the word and why I find it offensive.

I understand that wasn’t the intent of the author. I know she meant to say it in a cutsie, quirky way from the main character. Unfortunately it did not come across that way to me, and was just totally saddened to find such a racial irresponsible word in the book (call it my Canadian-ism but we don’t like to call people names here.)

After that, I almost didn’t pick up the book again (that’s only up to page 30ish).

I had a hard time believing any of it… The whole Catholic / Baptist/Greek Orthodox thing… it wasn’t explained enough to make sense but enough to make me toss the book again… I do realize there was small points in the later half of the book about it, but not enough to actually answer or explain. It left me wondering about the Orthodox church – yes it was part of the Christian foundation historically, but what does that have to do with the church today? Mostly the doctrinal issues between the three churches are just too far removed to make it plausible for the characters to switch so flippantly.

The conflicts were barely there… and the whole premise of the book in the beginning about her being a nun is over at page 100.. and I didn’t see an in-depth secondary plot so I assumed the book was over… but it wasn’t..

Needless to say, for a Young Adults book I didn’t find this book up to par.

Sorry! :(

*** review copy provided

[Geneva]

Great final book of this sweet series! Series about family, traditions, friends, growing up, faith, a little romance, and the questions of life, with some funny moments thrown in. I look forward to reading more from this author!

[Lauri2105]

Renee Riva writes a beautifully humorous story about homecoming, love and faith in her new book, Heading Home! This is the third book in a trilogy, I haven't read Taking Tuscany and Saving Sailor, but this novel stands on it's own! I love the humor in the book, A.J. Degulio returns to her beloved Island after living in Italy. Not only is she returning to her Island, but to her dog Sailor and her friend Danny.

A.J. takes you along on a joyful journey as she falls in love with Danny, but leaves you wondering what she's thinking when she mentions a long ago promise, will she follow her heart, or keep the promise she has made? Danny is a strong man, the pastor of a church but his heart tells him to follow his dreams, what will he do?
A.J. will truly win your heart with her passion, Danny will endear himself to you and you'll find yourself hoping for the best as you turn the pages of this wonderful book, and as you near the ending you will meet even more humorous characters which only makes the book a great joy to read!

This book was given to me to review by the B & B Media Group, I was not compensated for my honest opinion.

[Jill Williamson]

Review by Jill Williamson

After eight years in Italy, A.J. is coming back to Indian Island, Idaho. She can’t wait to see her dog Sailor and her old friend Danny. Sailor acts as if nothing has changed, but Danny—oooh. He’s grown up into a six-foot-tall real-life cowboy. He seems interested in A.J., but she has a promise to keep that doesn’t include Danny. What’s a girl to do if she wants both?

Okay. So I loved Saving Sailor, and I LOVED Taking Tuscany. So when I saw that Heading Home was available, I had to buy it. It did not disappoint. I’m a closure-happy ending kind of girl, and though A.J. sure does have a tendency to make a mess of things, Renée Riva has a great way of putting it all back together. A.J.’s Italian/Greek family is hysterical. This book was funny, heartwarming, and delightful. These three books were a fabulous coming-of-age story that takes place in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I highly recommend them.

[Chickadee]

Heading Home by Renee Riva, is the third and last book in the story of “A. J.” Degulio (The Indian Island Trilogy).

I haven’t read the first two books, but this one was a delight. An easy, fast-paced read, Heading Home had me hooked from the first page as I discovered the impulsive, quick-witted Angelina Juliana Degulio. I totally “got” her sense of humor and loved her character. I could have easily read this in one sitting, the story was so entertaining. By the end of the book, I was laughing out loud at the “Big Fat Italian-Greek-Southern Wedding” that was being planned by A.J.’s mother. It was very easy for me to visualize in my mind, the loud chaotic family members that were part of A. J. and Danny’s wedding. I thought the romance between A. J. and Danny was very sweet and the way their families bonded (more like collided) made for a happy ending.

[Erin]

I loved this book...it is refreshing that true love could still exist. Danny and A.J. The aspect of family in this story is refreshing. I loved A.J.s family and how they were so involved in each other's lives. It shows that religion should not be a breaking point in relationships. Family secrets are exposed and the laughter begins. I cant wait to go and read the other 2 books in this series.

[C.J. Darlington]

A sweet tale of true love, quirky characters, and a girl named A.J. you can't help but adore. Renee Riva is a gem of an author in Christian fiction. Everyone should have the chance to enjoy her wonderful stories, and Heading Home is no exception. A wonderful finish to a delightful trilogy. Be sure to read the others, Saving Sailor and Taking Tuscany, too. Viva la familia!

[Karen]

Great series and story teller. I didn't realize when I picked this series that it is a young adult series. I am usually not crazy about this genre and to be honest had I known I probably would have picked something else. But this is really great for both young adult and adult. I am so glad I didn't know and read all three books in the series. Great read!

[Danielle]

I really enjoyed this entire series. Intelligent, unusual and heartwarming. I like how it goes from her childhood to young adult years throughout the series (reminds me of a modern Emily of New Moon). Thanks, Renee Riva, for a great read!

[Margaret Chind]

*Thanks to The B&B Media Group for providing a copy for review.*

[Ioanna]

2.75-3 stars..not bad,not great...except for the cover...the cover is 4 stars..

[Morgan]

This book made me laugh, shed a tear, and and had me at the edge of me seat. It was a great book!!

[Lisa Morrow]

Great book

[Amerih]

it was great

[Pam]

Loved this series!

[Susan J. Pacansky]

Absolutely loved this series!

I didn't want the story to end, but it was a satisfying ending. Wonderful characters and lessons and made me laugh out loud often

[Niyah Rose]

I enjoyed this and although it was spiceless the build up made up for the lack of spice. There could of have been more detail on their background childhood origins within the island

[Angie]

Very relaxing. Somewhat predictable. A nice way of resolving the mixed marriage dilemma.

[Joan]

Easy read, new author for me