Author: Angela Ruth Strong
Publisher: Kregel
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction, Romance, RomCom, Humor
My Review:
I was not sure if Meri and I were going to get along when the first words out of her mouth was that she hated My Best Friend's Wedding!!! However, I quickly forgave her as she explains why she hates it and how she and Julia Roberts are alike.
"I'm the last of my nursing-school friends, or any of my friends for that matter, to be single."
I appreciated the way that Angela Strong alternated the point of view between Meri and Kai. By doing this, you get to know both characters extremely well. While this story had a lot of fluff, it also had some unexpected deep thoughts.
"There's value in making the sacrifices to grow, but there's also value in being stuck. It takes less risk to stay stuck."
Husband Auditions was a wild and unexpected ride. The dialogue is witty, with lots of bantering zingers, the characters are colorful, and the story line is humorous, making this an extremely difficult book to put down. Meri is lovable and relatable. While she has struggles she handles everything with humor and grace. Kai, in an odd way, is also relatable, even though he comes off as lazy. However, we learn so much about him and Meri as their characters grow and develop throughout the story. The story has a natural progression and does not feel forced.
"We make choices based on how we feel immediately rather than down the road."
While I enjoyed the story, I didn't love the ending, LOL. It did not conclude the way that I expected it too and I wonder what if anything will happen next. This is the first book that I have read by Angela Ruth Strong, but it will not be my last. If you love a good rom-com then this should be your next read!
Thank you to the author and Kregel Publishing for the opportunity to devour this book. I was not required to provide a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
★★★★/5
How Far Would You Go to Find Love?
Angela Ruth Strong’s delightful new release is the perfect end-of-summer read
Grand Rapids, MI — How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s? Those are the questions Meri Newberg finds herself asking in Husband Auditions (Kregel Publications/August 17, 2021/ISBN: 9780825447105/$15.99), the latest release from award-winning author Angela Ruth Strong.
For Meri, it seems the world is full of happily-ever-after love, or maybe it’s only because she’s just gotten home from the wedding of her now-former roommate. As of now, Meri is the only one left in her friend group who is still single, so she inherits “the list” from a 1950s magazine that has been passed from friend to friend. The list outlines “101 Ways to Get a Husband,” and out of desperation, Meri decides there’s nothing to lose and she might as well try some of them out. After all, she can’t get any more single than she already is, can she?
Her brother’s roommate, Kai Kamaka, knows a great opportunity when he sees it. He’s not interested in the love angle because he has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. Instead, Kai sees filming every one of Meri’s silly husband-catching attempts as the chance to get the cameraman job he has been wanting. In his mind, if the online show goes viral, his career is all but made.
When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching Meri lasso men on street corners, pretend to trip in front of 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. Is he ready for a relationship? Will Meri see him for who he can be for her instead of who he seems to be at the moment, the unmotivated and lazy surfer who is stuck to the couch?
“When I was writing Husband Auditions, I had recently read a book about dysfunctional relationships, and it listed seven different heart issues. One of them was laziness, which is said to be the most frustrating for a woman to have to deal with, and it seems to be common in the younger generations,” shares Strong. “I wanted to explore the idea of a lazy but likable hero and what it would take for him to have to grow. I gave Meri the heart issue of fear because the fear of being alone could trap her in a relationship with a man who was just going to sponge off her. I believe many women choose bad love over no love at all, and I want to encourage them to invite their significant other into the light rather than join him in the dark.”
As far-fetched as the list that Meri inherited sounds, and as silly as the advice may seem, Strong was inspired by an actual magazine article that has floated around online in recent years. “The idea for Husband Auditions came from a real article, ‘129 Ways to Get a Husband,’ that was published in McCall’s magazine in the 1950s. Some of the suggestions were quite outlandish, such as standing on a street corner with a lasso, and I imagined what would happen if a modern-day woman tried them out,” the author explains. “When I created an original list for my book, I went to my reader group on Facebook for ideas. We had such a great time with all of them, and I can’t wait for my readers to see which of their ideas made it into the story.”
Some of the ideas that made the list include:
Move to a state with more men than women. We recommend Nevada.
Make friends with beautiful women. They usually have a cast of unwanted suitors.
Why stop with a hat, when you could carry a hatbox? Be both charming and intriguing.
Only let him see you cry if he has the power to cheer you up. Otherwise, you’re wasting your tears.
There’s nothing more romantic than a view. Ask a Ferris wheel operator to leave you at the top of the ride for longer than usual.
With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.
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.
Strong’s books have since earned Top Pick honors in Romantic Times, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best sellers. Her book Finding Love in Big Sky recently filmed on location in Montana and will air soon. She also writes articles for SpiritLed Woman.
To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at Write That Book.
Besides writing, Strong teaches exercise classes, works for an airline, and enjoys Harley rides with her husband and camping with her three kids.
Learn more about Angela Strong at www.angelaruthstrong.com, or find her on Facebook (Angela Ruth Strong Fan Page), Instagram (@ang_strong), and Twitter (@AngelaRStrong).
Husband Auditions sounds like a lot of fun. I used to live in Nevada, and never thought it would have more men than women?
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy, it was a lot of fun. Haha, I wonder if that was a "true" fact or a made up one?!
DeleteI listened to the audiobook and it was so fun.
ReplyDeleteSarita, I can imagine it was :)
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