story craft

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Format: eBook

My rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Reasons to love: 

– not her type
– brother’s friend
– roommates to lovers
– quirky FMC
– emotionally wounded MMC
– slow burn

Cautions: difficult topics: loss, infidelity, and drunkenness are mentioned—as well as divorce and separation—but are not the focus of the book; romance: there are a few kisses and hints of romance here and there, overall, this was a sweet book

Main themes: Commitment, lasting love, family, confidence

Main characters: Meri Newberg, Kai Kamaka, Charlie Newberg, Mrs. Newberg, Gemma, Roxy, Anne, Damian, Douglas, Mrs. Kamaka

Favorite quote: “A gentleman always chooses what he wants most over what he wants in the moment.” 

Review:

“Become an outdoor guide or join an outdoor club.”

“Work in a helping profession.” 

“Ask your friends’ husbands to set you up with their friends or coworkers.”

“Pretend your car is broken down so you can get a cute guy to help.” 

These are just a few summaries of an article from 1958 that instructs women on how to get a husband. I looked it up after reading this book, which used this article (or one like it) as part of its premise. 

Some might even say I’m guilty of the last one—my husband is a mechanic, and we exchanged phone numbers at a New Year’s Eve party at my brother’s house so he could help me with a car problem. I didn’t cause the car to break, but I jumped at the chance to hang out with the cute mechanic as he worked on my car.  

I was already working as a guest services coordinator at a glamping resort in the Smoky Mountains, so I guess I could have checked off working in an outdoorsy job or joining a hiking club, but none of those efforts yielded any results. 

And much like the main character in the book, Meri, I wondered if they should anyway—if I needed a man to secure my worth. So many people made it seem like my relationship status was proof of my value. And for a while I bought into it, just like Meri. 

But just like Meri, through trial and error and even a misplaced understanding of what love really is, I did meet a man I loved—without having to become something other than I was or trying to get his attention in such ridiculous ways. Although, I admit the idea to test out these methods of snagging a husband was such a delightful take on a romance novel. 

Angela’s premise, prose, and people are absolutely brilliant. Usually, romance isn’t my speed, but I finished this book within a few hours of picking it up. I laughed. I cried. I read parts of it aloud to my husband. Not one page of this book turned slowly, and my afternoon sped by as I got lost in this comical scenario Angela presented. 

With her writing and use of first person, I felt like I was experiencing this for myself. I could feel the spray of the sea when they visited Oregon’s coast. I could smell the scent of rain when she said it fell. I could envision the townhome, the doctor’s office, the church and all of the unique places Meri and Kai traveled on their way to making their YouTube sensation Meri Me. (Honestly, like the author of the article, I’d love to see someone attempt this in real life. AND I just realized this book should totally be a movie. It’s that cute!) 

Anyway, I loved Meri with her spunky, sparkly personality—despite being the last of her friends to get married. And how she allows the stars to be removed from her eyes as she hears tough truths about relationships from her friends and family. More people need to know going in—marriage can be beautiful and fun and amazing, but it is not without its struggles. In fact, I’d say the strongest relationships come from sticking it out through the struggles, or appreciating a new relationship with someone who’s willing to struggle with you after loving someone who wasn’t. 

Kai is an absolute delight. He reminds me of some of my brother’s skater friends, who I grew up hanging out with; it was always low-key. His personality and wit make me smile, and I adore the way he encourages Meri to be herself and love who she is already, whether she has a guy in her life or not. And although he has this laid-back vibe, don’t let him fool you—he cares deeply for others. When it comes down to it, Kai has to decide whether he’ll settle for what he wants right now or what he wants most. It’s an uncomfortable decision that pushes him, and our chill dude does not like being pushed.

Beyond Kai and Meri, the ensemble characters added so much to the story without detracting a single thing—especially Gemma. And I’m so excited that Angela decided to write her story next. I’m a little sad that I have to wait until the end of August to read it. (But hey, that’s actually not too far away now that I’m sitting square in the middle of July.) 

Anyway, I loved that Angela gave us a resolution but didn’t spill the beans on the happily ever after. In other words, everything didn’t work out perfectly as it often does in our Hallmark-riddled world. Husband Auditions exceeded my expectations and gave me a taste of sweet romance while also remaining true to what a real-life romance is—ugly cries, being patient, working through the hurts, and all.

Thank you, Angela, for taking me on such a delightfully worded journey!

My take:

Just because God loves us doesn’t mean He gives us everything we want or ask for. Sometimes He holds us back to wait for something better. Sometimes He teaches us to trust Him even when He utters a resounding no. But His love never fails, and He holds the power to heal all our pain.