Have a Little Faith in Me

by Sonia Hartl

When CeCe’s born-again ex-boyfriend dumps her after they have sex, she follows him to Jesus camp in order to win him back. Problem: She knows nothing about Jesus. But her best friend Paul does. He accompanies CeCe to camp, and the plan - God’s or CeCe’s - goes immediately awry when her ex shows up with a new girlfriend, a True Believer at that.

Scrambling to save face, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship. But as deceptions stack up, she questions whether her ex is really the nice guy he seemed. And what about her strange new feelings for Paul - is this love, lust, or an illusion born of heartbreak? To figure it out, she’ll have to confront the reasons she chased her ex to camp in the first place, including the truth about the night she lost her virginity.

• ISBN10: 1624147976
• ISBN13: 9781624147975
• Publish Date: 1 October 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Page Street Publishing Co.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[theyaobsessed]

Losing your virginity as a teenager is a dramatic experience whether it turns out good, bad or just plain awkward. Losing your virginity and then being told by your boyfriend that you need to break up so that he can “absolve himself of sin and be Born Again” Is just about the most asshole stunt I can think of and is exactly what happens to CeCe our main character in this gem of a novel.

From this point, CeCe is a woman on a mission. She hatches a plan to win him back by going to the Christian camp that he goes every summer and show him he made a mistake. It took a little (or maybe a lot) of exaggeration on her part to be invited as a Jr. staff member but she figures it will be worth it.

Her best friend Paul even agrees to tag along. He has been to the camp before (though since his parent’s divorce, not in recent years) and figures she needs all the help she can get because shes barely religious and anything but a devout Christian.

The whole plan becomes a whole lot more difficult once they arrive and CeCe is devasted when she finds out he already has a new girlfriend who she has to bunk with! These changes though just seem to make her more determined then ever.

This book was wonderful. I appreciated it that even though Christianity was part of the plot the author of this novel did not try to shove an entire bible down our throats. The romantic parts were very sweet and hardwarming and hit me right in the feels. This novel was also funny with my favorite moment making me laugh out loud. I have 2 words for you. MuuMuu bathing suit. Are you intrigued? Then you should order this book!

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

CeCe thought she meant something to Ethan, but after her broke up with her, in the name of the Lord, she was hurt and determined to prove to him that his faith was also important to her in order to win him back. "Jesus camp" proved to be quite a challenge for CeCe, but there she found friendship, love, and understanding.

Let me tell you, I utterly adored this book, and here are some reasons why:

• I thought the characters in this book were stupendous, and I enjoyed getting to know them. They were interesting and layered, and many really surprised me. I was so happy, that Hartl resisted painting them as stereotypes, because they played a huge role in my enjoyment of this story.

• The friendship between CeCe and Paul was so wonderful. They had so much history, and I loved all the small peeks we got into their past.

• Paul was just flawed perfection. Maybe he held people at a distance, and maybe he was resistant to getting into any serious romantic relationships, but he had a huge, soft, and tender heart.

• THE STORIES!! Paul and CeCe would tell each other these really meaningful made up stories. I think I was more partial to Paul's, because they were epic, but I enjoyed this facet of their relationship very much.

• The girls of cabin 8 were such a fantastic group. I adored the friendship that developed between this group of young women, and was so happy CeCe had the luck of meeting them all.

• Hartl did a wonderful job exploring the emotional side of sex, as well as delving into the many aspects of consent. This is something I would love to see more of in YA, and not only was it a big part of CeCe's story, it was done well, in my opinion.

• The story also puts CeCe's fauxmance with Paul side-by-side with her past relationship with Ethan. It was a great way to show a healthy versus an unhealthy relationship, which is something I definitely would have benefited from as a teen.

• I appreciated that the author did not villainize all Christians or Christianity in general, but rather, showed that there are some bad people who choose to weaponize religion. CeCe encountered several characters like that, but she also met a lot of really wonderful Christians too, and I liked that Hartl elected to show both sides.

I expected a wholly hilarious book, and this book was indeed funny, but it was also really emotional, heartfelt, and meaningful. I laughed, I raged, I nodded my head in agreement, and most importantly, I finished this story with a smile on my face.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Do... do you see those comps? "'Saved!' meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before"? Like seriously how was I not going to pick this up, those are straight up two of my favorite things in this world. But then I was scared because come on, could this really live up to two of my favorite things in this world? Why, yes, yes it freaking can, because it did.

What I Loved:

• • The discussion/commentary on religion was handled really well. So, CeCe is pretty solidly anti-religion at the start of the book. Obviously, she's upset that her crappy boyfriend dumped her, citing religion as his reason. Add to it that religion has never been an important part of her life, and she's thinking pretty poorly of Christians as a whole. But here's the main thing: the author doesn't vilify religion or Christianity. Does Ethan, the ex-boyfriend, suck? You bet. And yes, he happens to be Christian. But the author introduces so many wonderful examples of Christian people that it makes CeCe think twice about her views, which is a pretty great message.
  
  Likewise, she doesn't shy away from some of the more dangerous messages that religions (and often Christianity) can spread, especially to young women. Because shaming women for existing is simply not okay. In one example, CeCe is shamed for not wearing a "proper" swimsuit, because god forbid she owns a stomach. Ethan feels perfectly justified in painting CeCe as some kind of temptress, when clearly they were both consenting participants. He is welcomed back as "reformed", while CeCe basically has a scarlet letter painted on her.
  
  Essentially, through CeCe's journey, the author showcased that there are fabulous faith-driven people, while still acknowledging that there is work to be done in many religious organizations, especially in terms of women and LGBT+ communities.



• • Frankly, it's funny as hell. The whole book was just beyond compulsively readable because it was just so damn charming. CeCe cracked me up, her best friend Paul cracked me up, and some of the instances they found themselves in were hilarious. It's heartwarming as well, but the humor was just done so well that it brought the characters to life.



• • Sex positivity FTW! Obviously it's clear that sex is going to play a role in this story based on the synopsis, but I think the author handled it so, so well. She addressed consent and protection, as well as simply making it clear that it's okay to ask about stuff. That it's cool to have experience and it's equally cool to not have experience; fine to be ready and fine to not be. There was no shame in any choice whatsoever, as long as the character(s) in question was comfortable. It was great that the author was able to shine such a positive light on the topic while still making clear that it's not for everyone at every time.



• • Such a focus on friendships! One of the highlights that I wasn't expecting was CeCe's blossoming friendships with the other girls in her cabin. They all came from such different backgrounds, and yet they still came together and bonded. It's absolutely a highlight of the book, as proof that one can find their people in the least expected of places.



• • Romance and relationship talk abound! Look would this even be a book about a summer camp if there was no love drama? Well, there was and it was really fun. Some people I shipped together, a lot. I will keep it vague but. I was rooting for certain people from the start. And so many of the girls were discovering their own needs and desires from relationships, and it was just a really refreshing perspective.

Bottom Line: This one lived up to my expectations and then some. It's fun, it's witty, it's heartwarming, and I flat out couldn't put it down. You need this book in your life.