I was provided a copy of I'll Sing for my Dinner in exchange for an honest review.

Cecily is thin, she and her clothes have gone several days unwashed, and the guy who picked her up has dropped her off at a bar in a small town. So she offers to sing for her dinner if the owner, Jake, doesn't mind. Jake is a veteran with a tough guy exterior, but he feels for Cecily and can't help but offer more help for her after he hears her sing. One night of music from Cecily and Jake offers her a job, a place to stay, and along the way, parts of his heart. Cecily has a past though, one that is going to catch up to her and make everything a lot harder than it used to be. You see, Cecily isn't just a good singer, she's famous and her famous past is about to shake things up with her and Jake.

I really enjoyed I'll Sing for my Dinner by B.R. Kingsolver. Cecily is a likable character and Kingsolver did an excellent job of giving her a history and making that past dictate how her actions were in the present. I hate when a novel gives you background, then forgets it part way through, so I was pleasantly surprised. The relationship between Jake and Cecily feels a lot like insta-love, instead of the lust I felt we should see, but the book did cover a long length of time. Their relationship is cute and withstands a lot more than one would expect a relationship of its type to. The book reads in three parts and I enjoyed the present with Cecily and Jake, learning Cecily's past, and then their future unfolding after the past is behind them. The characters are well described and the novel is very well rounded.

I did feel that Cecily's career as a singer was really dragged out and lengthy compared to the rest of the book. I know she was a singer in the past and was able to pick up where she left off, but it took up several chapters and it seemed to get in the way of the relationship story of Jake and Cecily. I started getting less attached at that turning point and had to come back to it at a later time in order to not get bored with that story line.

Overall, I'll Sing for my Dinner was an excellent novel and I really look forward to future work that B.R. Kingsolver releases of this genre. ( )