Tag: Strong Angela Ruth

“Another sparkling feel-good romance, brimming with perfect doses of heart and heat!”– Bethany Turner, award-winning author of The Do-Over

Gemma Bennett is the leading lady of her own life, and her true love is writing screenplays. With her trusty pink notebook in hand, she signs up for the Citizen’s Safety Academy to research her newest blockbuster hope, a rom-com with a police officer as the hero. And the fact that the handsome and heroic Lieutenant Karson Zellner is the one leading the training? Well, who can blame her for wanting to spend evenings with the man she swooned over months ago when he responded to a call at her apartment?

Karson already has his fair share of problems before Gemma shows up, and he’s not exactly a fan of the ditzy blonde who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. The last thing he needs is a damsel in distress to rescue; there are plenty of people in real need of his help. The fact that she seems to think his job makes him a superhero is just one more strike against her. This isn’t a movie, and he feels like the furthest thing from a leading man.

Gemma can’t seem to stop doing the worst, most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. And as time goes on, Gemma begins to realize that the scripts for a perfect screenplay and a real-life happily-ever-after are two very different things. Can she step out of her own way to find the hero her story needs?

My Review:

Fun and flirty with hidden depths.

I do so love a good grumpy sunshine romance and this one is excellent. Gemma is an accident waiting to happen whenever Karson is around and I loved all the comedic action in this rom/com.

Snappy dialogue, a great friend group egging Gemma on and poor, long-suffering Karson trying to keep a straight face at the most inopportune moments. I grinned my way through this read (well, listen) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any emotional depth. There is. I really love the way Strong tackles dysfunctional family relationships with the seriousness the topic deserves, along with a light touch of humour.

The Citizens Safety Academy setting is absolute perfection! So much scope for mischief and mayhem. Straight-laced, by-the-book Lieutenant Zellner has no idea what he’s in for when Gemma and friends enrol in his training sessions. So. Much. Fun! And informative too! Gemma’s quirkiness is the perfect foil to Karson’s staid professional demeanour.

This is the second book in the author’s ‘Love Off Script’ series and it’s just as delightful as the first (though it could easily be read as a standalone too.) Engaging characters (and that includes secondary characters) and a cleverly paced plot kept me enthralled from start to finish.

I enjoyed listening the the audio edition of Hero Debut. Jeannie Sheneman and Mike Lenz teamed up to deliver stellar performances which increased my ‘reading’ enjoyment that much more.

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.

My Review:

published in 2021

Unexpected, refreshing…and so funny!

A wonderful mix of solid gold comedic moments paired with an honest look at marriage from a Christian world view. It never gets heavy but there are some pointed ‘aha’ moments that made me want to cheer. There’s lots more that I could say, but I won’t for risk of revealing spoilers. This would make a great book club pick though because there really is a lot to talk about. And laugh over.

Brilliant pacing. Engaging characters (even if a certain hero had me pulling my hair out a time or two.) Lots of intriguing introspection from both Meri and Kai’s points of view. And the character growth – phenomenal. All while the comedic beats hit the right chords again and again.

Such a great idea for a contemporary romance. The YouTube channel touch is brilliant, drawing these two together with some sizzling results. They start as enemies though, and then turn into friends but it’s quite a while before that surpassed sizzle actually turns into fireworks. And the 1950s guide to finding a husband! I don’t know whether I laughed or cringed more.

Thrilled that I am at the beginning of my ‘Love Off Script’ journey. I have ‘Hero Debut’ perched on the top of my TBR clamouring for some attention so it won’t be long before I begin book two.