Review of Afternoon Rebecca

[Catherine Sweet]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Afternoon Rebecca" by Mike J. Kizman.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Afternoon Rebecca by Mike J. Kizman is a romantic novel that integrates a Christian love story with some short stories about people’s lives.

Jeff is a young man who works as a local truck driver. He lives in a house in Beach City with his African grey parrot. He would like to have a girlfriend but gets nervous when meeting women.
Rebecca is a young woman who is a college graduate. She lives in an apartment with her friend, Maxine. She recently ended a year-long relationship when she realised her boyfriend didn’t love her. Jeff and Rebecca both sign up for Church Chat Christian Dating. Rebecca calls herself Afternoon Rebecca. They are matched together, and they arrange a date in a restaurant. They have their Christian faith in common, but will anything else bring them together?

Stories about the restaurant staff are woven into the narrative. We learn about the co-owners, Fred and Irving, and how they came to own a restaurant together. Fred was inspired to cook when he discovered his mother’s secret recipe for lasagna, and Irving learnt to love cooking when he was growing up and used a child’s oven.

The two main characters regularly quote from the Bible, making it clear that their faith is important to them both. The writing is light-hearted and humorous. The story flows, making it easy to read. A strength of the story is Jeff and Rebecca’s dialogue, which effectively develops the characters and makes them seem real. Their conversation is amusing, and it’s funny when Jeff sings Rebecca a song he wrote about his love of peas. The song is included after the story has ended!

The story is enjoyable to read but quite straightforward, without much depth or anything unexpected. There are some difficult circumstances for secondary characters, but they are a small part of the story and don’t develop much.

This book would interest readers who enjoy a romantic story that is easy to read. It would also appeal to young people who would like a story about Christian dating. I have taken off two stars for the reasons in the penultimate paragraph and award this book 3 out of 5 stars.

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Afternoon Rebecca
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[Sanjay Vaishnav]

"Afternoon Rebecca" by Mike J. Kizman is a light-hearted and romantic novel that combines Christian faith and dating in an interesting way. The story revolves around the main characters Jeff Linn and Rebecca Firkins, who meet on the Church Chat Christian Dating app. Jeff is a nervous truck driver, while Rebecca is a young college graduate who recently ended a relationship with her cheating ex-boyfriend. Despite their 67% match score, they decide to meet at a restaurant halfway between their homes.

One of the highlights of the story is not just the main characters, but also the small stories about the restaurant staff, which add depth and interest to the plot. The narratives of Fred and Irving, the co-owners, shed light on their struggles and the inspiration behind opening the restaurant, especially how Fred was motivated to cook after discovering his mother's secret lasagna recipe and how Irving fell in love with cooking during his childhood.

The dialogues between Jeff and Rebecca are amusing and fun, especially when Jeff sings a song he wrote about his love for peas to Rebecca. The song is included at the end of the book, making the story even more charming. The author’s writing style is light-hearted and humorous, and the use of Bible verses makes it clear that faith is significant to both characters.

However, while the story is enjoyable, it lacks depth and unexpected twists. Although some secondary characters face challenges, they don’t develop much throughout the story. There’s a slight feeling that the plot could have gone deeper and had more emotional complexity.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy romantic stories that are easy to read, especially young people who are interested in Christian dating.

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

I think this is a book that would appeal to lovers of Christian romance. Good review. I enjoyed reading it. It was balanced and straightforward. Keep it up.

[Jenny Smith 13]

I was given this book as a Christmas present, and it's absolutely perfect. I read two of the sequel books, which pick up the day after the date, and they expand on the date and all of the characters in it. Most that are mentioned in Afternoon Rebecca are expanded, especially the bus girl Aliki story and the roommate Maxine. I reread Afternoon Rebecca almost every weekend since getting it since I can't get enough of this perfect book. Buy it! Read it! Love it like I do! If I can give the boo fifteen stars I would as it's three times better than anything else I ever read!

[Benita Ogarekpe]

As a believer, I strongly endorse this book. I think young Christians don’t have a lot of reference material in terms of novels when it comes to Christian dating. I’m thankful for this book in that regard.

[GOODNEWS UYE]

Afternoon Rebecca is a light Christian romance about Jeff, a truck driver, and Rebecca, a college graduate, who connect through a Christian dating site. Their bond grows over shared faith, with Bible verses subtly influencing their journey together, like “Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

The story is sweet, and Jeff’s quirky humor, such as his song about peas, adds a light touch. However, while the dialogue is engaging, the plot remains fairly simple, with little character development or major plot twists.

This book is a good fit for readers seeking an easy, feel-good Christian romance, but it may not be complex enough for those looking for a deeper storyline.

[Jenny Smith 13]

I reread this again this weekend. It's so perfect!