New Release Review! HUSBAND AUDITIONS by Angela Ruth Strong

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?

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.

Review:

Husband Auditions is a contemporary Christian romance with rom-com and chicklit vibes. I’m not going to lie–there were times I laughed out loud while reading it (by some crazy coincidence, I was all alone each time, thank goodness ;)). The “list” was SMH-worthy; the situations it got our MCs into were amusing.

It was easy to foot for Meri and Kai–they definitely have solid chemistry–even as the alternating POVs of the book also made their hesitance to actually start a relationship with each other understandable. I started to get a bit concerned that they would actually be able to get to an HEA by the end when I was around the 90% mark and things weren’t remotely close to being resolved–and that was before I knew that the entire 101-item “list” is included at the end of the book. In fact, Ms Strong gets her characters to more of a promise of an HEA than an actual one–the ending is very optimistic, but our two MCs are not exactly riding off into the sunset…yet.

Husband Auditions is definitely a modern Christian romance–Meri, Kai, and everyone else close to them here are looking not only to live their best lives for themselves but are also trying to get closer to their God as they do. The book does feel a bit preachy at times especially when it talks about relationships, but it’s not quite as judgy and in-your-face as other books I’ve read in recent years. Though characters do talk about sex occasionally, nothing more than kissing happens, either on or off the page.

Husband Auditions was a light and fun summer read from a new-to-me author.

Rating: 4 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

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). 

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