A 1950s' list + YouTube Show = Love? Check out Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong (Review & #Giveaway) #romancebooks #christianromance #cleanromance #romcom @AngelaRStrong @audrajennings

Welcome to my tour stop! Read my review and check out the two giveaways below...

Husband Auditions

By Angela Ruth Strong

Christian Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Paperback & ebook, 272 Pages

August 17, 2021 by Kregel Publications

Summary

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she's handed a strange present at the latest wedding--a 1950s magazine article of "ways to get a husband"--she decides there's nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can't get any more single, can she?

Her brother's roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love--Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it's an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she's looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

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My Review

HUSBAND AUDITIONS is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster of romantic comedy. The story mixes meaningful messages about happiness, faith and the struggles of marriage and finding the right one, with humor and friendship as these characters take on the challenge of filming a YouTube show based on a 1950s' list on how to catch a guy. Christian contemporary romance fans will find much to love in this story.

From the start this story was a lot of fun! Meri and Kai both use lots of sarcasm in their humor and the whole YouTube show was basically mocking the practice of women trying to get men, so there was a constant humorous feel to the story. Meri and Kai had an instant connection and chemistry which definitely made the story quite entertaining. I liked both of them, although I liked Kai more. There was also an overprotective brother from a distance as he's out of the country, a quirky roommate, a best-friend and co-worker, and some other family members who each had their own bits of story to play. The religious aspect is light through the story except in a few places and towards the end. Some may have issues theologically, but otherwise I thought it was well done. I also thought the author did a really good job of mixing the lighter, more entertaining moments (including the romance) with some heavier topics. The story definitely pulled on all my emotions between laughing at the characters' antics, feeling a bit like swooning during a few scenes, and feeling heartbroken for some of the situations.

I only had a few complaints with the story. My biggest was the way Meri treated Kai and how judgmental she was in places. There was one point in the story where she actually made me a bit mad and I didn't really like her. She's even hurtful in a few places directly to Kai, but there's no consequences. It's like Kai and the author just gloss right over it all except for Kai once saying to himself that it hurt. She also was rather unlikable when she was being a poor friend when her best friend got married and later on. My other complaint is that I would have liked an epilogue to see how things go and how these two grew in the end, although I also understand why the story ended as it did.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an enjoyable read. It was heartfelt, with relatable characters and a story that most readers can relate to and will leave them with a smile in the end.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Audra Jennings Book PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there's nothing else she'd rather write about.

She is the author of the Resort to Love series and the CafFUNated mysteries. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers. Finding Love in Big Sky was recently filmed on location in Montana and will air soon. Her latest release is Husband Auditions.

Strong also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho and teaches as an expert online at Write That Book.

Learn more at www.angelaruthstrong.com, and follow her on Facebook (Angela Ruth Strong Fan Page), Twitter (@AngelaRStrong), and Instagram (@ang_strong).

Giveaways

Giveaway #1: Angela Ruth Strong is doing a big giveaway for a free roundtrip airline ticket on Allegiant Air! Enter HERE.

Giveaway #2: Win a copy of the book. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What do you think? Does this sound like your kind of book?