Split Ends: Sometimes the End is Really the Beginning    by Kristin Billerbeck Order:  USA  Can Thomas Nelson, 2007 (2007) Paperback      Reviewed by Lindsey Freitas 'Some people go to college. Others of us have a higher calling in foils and highlights. There's only one road to success in Sable, Wyoming, and it leads directly out of town.' Sarah Claire Winowski's life hasn't exactly been charmed. She's twenty-six and still lives with her dependent, alcoholic mother in a small town that will always see her as the bastard daughter of the town bad girl. Sarah Claire is determined to change the way the world sees her or die trying. She has one special talent, styling hair, and one dream – to be known as Sarah Claire Winowski: Hairstylist to the Stars. She says, 'I'm ready for a transformation, and what better place than Hollywood! A place that made Norma Jean Baker into Marilyn Monroe and Archie Leach into Cary Grant. Why not Sarah Claire Winowski into 'hairstylist to the stars'? Stranger things have happened. Paris Hilton happened.' Amazingly enough, her cousin Scott is able to pull strings and get her a much sought-after internship with Yoshi, a famous hairstylist in Beverly Hills. Sarah Claire flies off to California, her head filled with romantic expectations (think Cary Grant, golden age of Hollywood), and gets quite a reality check when she discovers that she was only hired because Scott showed Yoshi an 8x10 photoshopped glam picture of her. 'You look like Angelina Jolie, you're a size 4, and you're hot, all right? Yoshi can teach a monkey to cut hair but he can't make a monkey something people want to emulate. People want to look like you.' Not only is she expected to look like America's Next Top Model, Scott also informs her that her new name is Sarah Claire Winston, she is not his cousin, and she is now from New York. Apparently, this makes her more employable in Beverly Hills. Sarah Claire's biggest struggle lies ahead. Can she achieve her dream without compromising her morals and her faith? Split Ends is a fun-filled trip to Beverly Hills through the eyes of Sarah Claire, an extremely likeable character with a terrific sense of humor. As someone who thought she didn't like chick lit, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I will never be able to say again that I don't enjoy this genre – Kristin Billerbeck has changed my mind. I highly recommend this humorous and inspiring story! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews